The flavors that are missing are the umami flavors. I notice this in some vegetarian cooking. I utilize mushrooms, yeast flakes and yeast extract to add the missing umami. Tomatoes and other vegetables when appropriate. I don't adhere strictly to cultural norms, I just want my food to taste delicious when I eat it.
>Katsuobushi is made of katsuo or bonito, skipjack tuna, a saltwater fish. Bonito is rich in protein. If unprocessed, it has a 25% protein content, and if used to make katsuobushi, its protein content increases to 77%. It is also rich in inosinate, an important umami substance; the umami is multiplied many times over when combined with glutamate.
This is the mechanism behind ichiban dashi (“first soup stock”) in Japanese cuisine.
